Firefighters fight forest fires in several regions of Greece
Another fire broke out early Sunday afternoon in Megara in the West Attica region. 48 firefighters and several volunteers were on the scene with 13 vehicles, two aircraft, and two helicopters.
A fire in the city of Lagadas in the Thessaloniki region was partially contained while 20 firefighters, ten vehicles, and one helicopter fought the flames.
Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias had warned on Saturday that weather conditions until August 15 could favor wildfires. He said "extremely high temperatures and dangerous weather conditions" would prevail, adding that "half of Greece is in the red zone" due to strong winds and extreme drought.
The research director of the National Observatory of Athens, Kostas Lagouvardos, warned Sunday morning that flames could quickly get out of control given the current weather conditions if not addressed promptly. With wind speeds reaching 80 to 90 kilometers per hour on Sunday, it was the most challenging day for firefighting.
Greece, which experienced the warmest winter ever recorded, also had the hottest June and July since records began in 1960, making it extremely vulnerable to wildfires.
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Despite the warning from Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, another wildfire erupted in a different region, this time in Greece's West Attica region in Megara. The current weather conditions, with high temperatures and strong winds, make Greece particularly susceptible to such incidents, much like the fires recently in Lagadas, Thessaloniki.
